Houston Texans will not be trading for Patriots backup quarterback Ryan Mallett

Ryan Mallett (left) has played sparingly in three years as Tom Brady's backup in New England. (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

The Houston Texans were rumored to have interest in New England Patriots backup quarterback Ryan Mallett for quite some time.

That interest came to a head in recent days when talk of a potential trade between the two teams surfaced leading up to the draft, but such a move is unlikely after John McClain of the Houston Chronicle noted that the Texans would not be acquiring Mallett.

Earlier Tuesday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that there was still "mutual interest" between the two sides, and why the deal fell apart after picking up steam in the past week is unknown.

The Texans currently have veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick atop their quarterback depth chart, but Fitzpatrick is far from the perfect option as a starter, so the Texans may continue to look for a starter as the offseason unfolds. Fourth-round draft pick Tom Savage clearly isn't expected to be ready to start Week 1, while Case Keenum and T.J. Yates can't be expected to produce better results than Fitzpatrick given the duo's combined history in a starting role.

It's possible New England's asking price was too high for Houston. The Texans were looking to reunite Mallett with new head coach Bill O'Brien, who mentored the former Arkansas quarterback during his time with the Patriots.
Mallett, 25, is set to become a free agent after the 2014 season.

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